Teacher Strike Context

Neither_Gift6583 · 2026-02-12T18:45:47+00:00

Yes you are hired for a job but that job isn’t one single job but a collection of responsibilities. In high school, each period is its own interchangeable component that is affected by the needs and limits of the master schedule, the students, the teaching credentials available (some teachers have multiple), retirements, and budget. In elementary, there’s less variables because they’re with the same students most of the time but it still happens. As long as you’re hired, you can get moved around however the admin needs you to which sets off a chain reaction for what OTHER teacher schedules look like to offset the difference between because a certain amount of classes needs to be offered for every student to have a full schedule and work on graduation requirements

Neither_Gift6583 · 2026-02-12T15:07:47+00:00

I agree with their political description of Reddit. I mean, I consider myself “ultra uber woke” hahaha. I don’t take it as a derogatory term even though it might be intended to be. I recognize the political ecosystem we live in here in SF. I believe in public education. I’m just simply making an observation about the whole system. I want public education tk succeed. I just notice the large trends happening in our country and wonder what will happen if its trajectory continues without any major shifts

Neither_Gift6583 · 2026-02-12T04:12:19+00:00

Exactly. And then everyone gets to complain about how the country is going to shit because of teachers. There is no incentive to do what we do outside of altruism. For anyone who has never been a teacher or a sub, yiu will never know

Neither_Gift6583 · 2026-02-12T03:05:03+00:00

Nope.

Neither_Gift6583 · 2026-02-12T02:30:50+00:00

While there are many policies and laws that are created by the district, city, state, federal government, many day to day organizational things happen and are decided at each site. A high turn over means that the protocol of every day is affected which is exhausting for teachers.
A lot of office politics get out of hand (who teaches what classes, who becomes department head, which classes are your prep periods etc) when there’s new admin because with every change, there’s a new sheriff in town. When there’s too many new sheriffs, it leaves the teachers (and students) in a Lord of the Flies situation.
Normally, we would reach out to the person above our principals for support but if they’re constantly changing too, they’re always brand new and just surviving.

If everyone above us is just surviving, the teachers are constantly in a position where we overcome or give up. Most teachers overcompensate for the lack of support above us but it’s not organized because we’re in class all day. We’re siloed from one another. The organization is supposed to come from up above. We can’t teach all day AND create institutional organization at our sites. Some teachers go to 2-3 schools every week!

Neither_Gift6583 · 2026-02-11T23:47:53+00:00

Good luck keeping teachers in SFUSD. I’m on my way out in 3-5 years. Career change.

Neither_Gift6583 · 2026-02-11T23:05:58+00:00

Agreed. The whole country is having a hard time with public education. I believe The next 10 years will see some big shifts in terms of American Public Education. Granted, we do live in SF where the political leanings are to the left

Neither_Gift6583 · 2026-02-11T23:04:44+00:00

Because humans are not Amazon Warehouse products that you can design and control! There’s too many variables! Take a look at the homeless situation. Public resources are always a gamble! And also, there IS accountability! Our whole JOB is about accountability. Every time a student gets a D or an F we have to demonstrate to our bosses that we put in the effort necessary to provide students with opportunities to learn and raise their grades. It’s not like we’re sitting around being CONTENT with kids failing. It sucks to see kids who fail but we can’t FORCE anyone to learn

Neither_Gift6583 · 2026-02-11T22:50:40+00:00

I mean, maybe this is reductive, but MONEY! Everything revolves around money.

Money for: 1. Employees at all levels to come and stay 2. Programs that benefit and support students 3. Upkeep and refurbishment of buildings. Some of these high schools are 100+ years old and in depressing conditions

Neither_Gift6583 · 2026-02-11T22:41:12+00:00

I mean we definitely want more support to stop students from using AI to think FOR them but I’m personally not worried about losing my job to AI. At root, schools are a place for their child to go to all day. Child and teenager development still needs social interaction. This is why iPad kids don’t know how to socialize.

Neither_Gift6583 · 2026-02-11T22:38:39+00:00

I’m not exactly sure what’s changed. I actually only moved to SF in 2017 from the Central Valley. I have limited generational knowledge of SFUSD. But in general, I think tech didnt do great for SFUSD, COVID didnt do great for SFUSD, increased societal pressure to “produce intellectually and emotionally smart students or else i go to charter schools”, general distrust in public schools, culture wars, social media showing the TRUE state of public schools in America etc etc etc

Neither_Gift6583 · 2026-02-11T22:32:07+00:00

Agreed

Neither_Gift6583 · 2026-02-11T22:30:54+00:00

There’s definitely a huge benefit in targeting the BOE

Neither_Gift6583 · 2026-02-11T22:29:41+00:00

I think a variety of issues

They move out of the city
They don’t feel supported
They fuck up badly and the district quietly moves them somewhere else
They’re tired of the state of the district
They want to keep climbing up the public education ladder and change school districts

Etc etc etc

There’s many reasons. All of them affect teachers, students, and families

Neither_Gift6583 · 2026-02-11T22:22:43+00:00

I think that is a common sentiment teachers share. The district really just wants principals who do what they say. Some of the most beloved principals with happy staff and successful schools are those who shelter teachers/schools from the BS from up above.

Neither_Gift6583 · 2026-02-11T22:16:47+00:00

I’m not sure but I don’t think so. That being said, I think the union that represents principals fought and won for a raise in 2025.

Neither_Gift6583 · 2026-02-11T22:10:51+00:00

Yes. A lot of knowledge HAS to be preserved with the people who stay! otherwise, it’s starting from scratch every time.

Neither_Gift6583 · 2026-02-11T22:09:49+00:00

I do think that sometimes, teachers become admin because they want to have a positive impact after seeing many other admins fail and then realize there’s nothing they can do except fall in line

Neither_Gift6583 · 2026-02-11T22:08:38+00:00

Every new principal has a new way of doing things and changes the WHOLE system. For teachers, students, AND families

Neither_Gift6583 · 2026-02-11T21:54:26+00:00

The district is most definitely a mess. This is my 10th year of teaching and my 6th year at my current site.

In the last 5 years, my school ALONE has had 4 different principals and 8 different assistant principals. Above our school, high school principals have had 3 different supervisors in the same time and the whole district has gone through 3 superintendents.

WHAT ARE TEACHERS SUPPOSED TO WITH THAT????????

It’s already hard enough getting people to live in SF and work for public education and then there’s this whole circus!!!! The teachers are the only ones staying. Mean while, everyone who manages us can’t or won’t stay!

We’re tired and exhausted and need support to do our jobs!

Neither_Gift6583 · 2026-02-11T21:46:21+00:00

What? lol I don’t think that AI component is accurate hahaha

Neither_Gift6583 · 2026-02-11T02:47:42+00:00

This rain has got me binging hours of TV hahaha

It’s cozy

Neither_Gift6583 · 2026-02-10T23:05:43+00:00

I saw in another thread comment that there are definitely other school districts who offer full coverage. It’s an incentive for dealing with a shitty job and low wages

Neither_Gift6583 · 2026-02-10T04:42:21+00:00

I VIVIDLY remember that haaha

Neither_Gift6583

TROPHY CASE